Means for preventing mine disasters.



M. T. MGD'ONOUGH. MEANS FOR lREVBNTING MINE DISASTERS.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M. T. MGDONOUGH. MEANS FOR PREVENTING MINE DISASTERS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 21, 1908-.

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w1 kwamen M. T. MGDONOUGH. MEANS FOR PREVBNTING MINE DISASTERS.

4. SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@z/ wiwi" "7 M. T. MGDONOUGH.

MEANS PoR PREVENTING MINE D1sAsTBRs- APPLICATION FILED APR.21, 1908. @@39492, Patented Nov. 10, 1908. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

sfrnrns rnfrnrtr ,ernten MARTIN T. MCDONOGII, OF SUN, WEST VIRGINIA.

MEANS FR PREVENTING MINE DISASTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN T.' MODON- oUGH, a citizen of Ireland, residing at Sun, in the; county of Fayette and State of West `\f"irgin`ia, have invented certain new andnseful Improvements in Means for yqPreventing Mine Disasters, of which the following/is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention 1s -an improved system of vworking coal and other mines and of ventilating the same.

The invention .contemplates a mine having a main haulingway containing all electrical conductors, steam pipes and also the main tracks over which high speed motor' cars travel without danger to the miners and without buifeting the air currents and withoutinterfering with the ventilation of the mine; and it further contemplates, in connection with such main hauling way and with auxiliary hauling ways or passages for causing an effective circulation ofpure air throughout all parts of thel mine, a safety manway or passage co-extensive in length with the main hauling way and by means of which the miners or employees may goto and from the various working places throughout the mine in perfect safety, said safety manway being shut off from the other parts ofthe mine andbeing in communica tion with the main hauling way and the auxiliary hauling ways and air passages by means of suitable doors so that in the event ofan explosion or fire at any part of the 'mine the employees may quickly andeasily enter the manway and pass safely out of the mine, said manway also permitting of readyand safe entranceto the mme by rescumg and fire fighting parties 1n the event vof a disaster by re or explosion.

y The obj-ect of the invention is to provide an improved system of wbrkingand ventilation whereby vloss of life and property due-V.

mine, and the shaft 6 forms an outlet for a `portion of such Ventilating current, also for a Ventilating current on the other side of thel to explosions and fires will be reduced to a minimum and whereby the mines maybe.

tion; Fig. 2 isa vertical section through the shaft lof such mine, such section being taken 4'on the plane Aindicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. l; Fig., 3 isa detail vertical section taken on the' plane indicated by 'the line 3--3v in Fig. l and showing one of the overcasts; Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views partly in sec- 65 tion of one of the fire proof doors; Fig. V6v is a horizontal section through a drift mine embodying the invention; and Fig. 7 is a section in an inclined plane through a slope mine embodying the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, l denotes the main hauling way, 2 the safety manway, and 3, 4c' the auxiliary hauling and working ways which insure a continuous circulation of pure air through all of the -working places on each side of the mine.. The hauling way 1 and manway 2 are parallel and arranged between the working ways 3, 4, Abut the manway crosses over thel hauling way adjacent to two vertical shafts-5, 6 8,0

which extend from the surface tothe hauling way 1 and manw'ay .2 and form entries for the same. The main shaft 5 is adapted to contain the elevators and adjacent to one side is a verticall partition 7 which forms a. 85 vertical air shaft 8.

9 denotes a fan of any suitable form and construction which-may be reversed so that it can be used either for impelling air through the passage 8 of the portions of the 90 mine or exhausting air froml the same. A. verticalpartition 10 is arranged in the shaft 6 which latter is located adjacent to the main *shaft 5, and saidl partition l() is adapted to form a vertical shaft or passage 11 at the 95 `Iupper end of which' is a suitable fan 12',

preferably an impelling fan for impelling i a blast of air through one' side of the mine.. vThe air shaft 1l' forms an inlet for the ventilating current or blast on one sideI of the 100 mine, the inlet of which is the air shaft 8.v These ventilatingcurrents pass through the manway 2, the outlet of which latter is also g formed by the shaft 6 and in order'topermit theminers or employees to ascend said shaft. one or; more flights of stairs 13 are arranged within the same.

14 denotes a trap door arranged to coverv the outlet shaft 6 'in the event of a tire or explosion within the mine, but which ,is kept normally in its open position as shown in full lines inFig. 2. The portions of the Ventilating currents that do not find their outlet through the manway and the shaft 6 have their outlet through the hauling way 1l and the main shaft 5 as hereinafter eX- plained. Y

The passages 1, 2, 3, 4, aswell as the other passages presently explained, are formed by tunneling which latter produces a partition or pillar 15 between the hauling way 1 and the manway 2 and similar partitions or pillars 16 17 between the manway 2 and working way 3 and between the hauling way 1 and the working way 4, respectively. EX-

`tending outwardly from the partitions or main headings 16, 17 are cross headings or partitions 18, 19 which make the working ways 3, 4 zig-zag and divide the'seam of coal or ore into working squares 20. The miners work into the squares 20 from the dii'erent portions of the working ways 3, .4 and owing to the shape of said ways and to the provision of the cross or butt headingsl 18, 19 therein, the Ventilating currents will be caused to pass through all of the Various working. places to remove poisonous and eX- plosive gases, dust and the like and to supply pure fresh air for the miners and animals. The working ways or passages 3, 4 are provided with tracks for the coal cars and mules may be used for hauling these cars -to the main hauling way 1: Y f Y I Doors 21 are provided in the partition 1'7 adjacent to each of the cross headings' or partitions 19 to permit of access between the working way 4 andthe hauling way 1. These doors open outwardly or away from the main hauling way 1 so as not to interere with the rapid transito'motor cars and trains in said hauling way and they are preferably constructed and operated as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. rEhe door 21 is made of metal and hinged at 22 to a metal frame 23 set in an opening in said partition. The door 21 is made self closing by attaching to it a steel cable 24 which passes over a guide pulley 25 and carries a weight 26. The guide 25 and weight 26 are arranged -in a tubular metal post 27 "having a point 28 at its lower end to be driven into the ioor and a pointed fastening screw 29 at its upper end to be,driven into the roof or ceiling. The points 28, 29 effectively retain the post in position and Vpermit it Ato be turned so that the cable 24.4 will not bind.

' Doors 30, similar to doors21, are arranged in each of the .cross headings or partitions 60. 18 adjacent to the partition 16. These doors are normally closed and are only opened to permit of the passage-of persons or carsI through them. Doors 31, similar to doors of the working places in the working way or passage 3 may readily enter the manway 2. These doors are normally closed and open inwardlyor into ,the manway 2 to prevent the miners from jamming against the same should they. become panic stricken in they time of disaster. Doors 32, similar to doors 2 1, are arranged at intervals of about 500 feet in the partition 15 so that the miners in any of the working places in the working way or passage 4 may pass from the main hauling way 1 into the manway 2. These doors, similar to the door s 31open inwardly o into the manway.

' At the lower. end of the main shaft 5 is a vertical partition 33 containing openings through which the cars may be moved and placed upon' the elevator cages.. The main hauling way 1 extends to the partition 33 and in front of the latter, said hauling way is enlarged, as shown at 34, to permit of numerous tracks and switches for the convenient shifting and `handling ofthe loaded aroundl the elevator cages in order to permit the motor cars to readily pass to the rear ofthe mine and pick up the em ty cars. A

passage way 37 is -provided adjacent to the partition 6 so that miners in the front pat or chamber 34 may pass directlyA tothe passage way 36 and around the elevators to the rear part or chamber 35 without.` passing through the elevator shaft and thereby endangering their lives. The loaded cars from the different portionsof the working way 4 pass through the doors 21 'and into the main hauling way 1 and then throu h the latter to the elevators, but the loade cars on the other side of the mine in the Working Way 3 pass through the latter and the doors 30 and then into the main hauling way 1 through. a door 38 which is similar to the doors 21. I This door is normally closed and opens away from the main hauling way. The empty cars for this ,side of the mine pass from the' rear part or chamber 35 through a passage way 40 andl a door 41 arranged in the partition 18 nearest'to the main shaft "or elevator shaft'. Said door 41 is similar to the dopr 21 and is normally closed.

In order to permit theyentilating currents to pass from the working `way 4 into the "manway 2, an overcast 42 is formed over the way 4 to the manway'2. Said overcast is formed by shooting passages or channels 43 upwardly and inwardly from opposite points in the passages 2, 4 tothe topl of the passage l, then erecting walls of masonry 44 in such points of the passage way for thesupport of metal' beams 45-and metal flooring plates 46. Overcasts similar to the one shown in Fig. 3 are formed fromtime to' time as-the mine advances through the seam of coal, but only the one farthest from the main shaft is kept open, vthe others being walled up with-brick work or,niasonry as the mine is extended and anew overcast is made. VIn the mine ishown in Fig. l the overcast 42 1s open7 while a similar overcast 47 which is used in the early stage of the. working of the mine is closed,a`s indicated` In order to permit a portion of the ventilating current passing through the passage 4 to pass. the overcast42 and to the miners working at the extreme inner working places in said passage 4, a-pa-rtition 49 is arranged adjacentto the overcast 42 so as to partially fill the passage way 4 at Isuchpoint. This partition is of such size as to permit a' suitV able quantity ofthe ventilatingcurrent to pass to the inner extremities of the passage 4 and the-.working places in the latter and -such portion of the 'current finds its outlet through a cut-through 50 formed in the par- `tition 17. The cut-throughs or o'penings new or last made overcast.

51 denotes a cut-through or opening formed in the partition 1G for the purpose of permitting the Ventilating current en the other side of the mine to'pass through the` working way or passageinto 'th'eman'way 2. Similar cut-throughs are formedfat d ifferent points in the partition 1G as the mine advances, .but only the iunern'iost one is kept o'pen, the others being bricked up or closed by the doors 31 when a new one is made.l

52 denotes an overcast atthc point where the manway 2 -crosses the main hauling way '1. This overcast extendsdiagonally or at an angle from the main hauling way, but is similar in construction to the overcast shown in-Fig.

53 denotes a similar overcast in the passage way 3-,"at the lower end of the shaft 8. This overcast, as .clearly shown in Fig. '2, carries the yventilating current passing down the shaft 8 over the passage 40. By provid- 'ing this overcast the Ventilating current passing down the shaft 8 is prevented from passing directly to 'the rear portion or chamber 45 of the mine and 'is caused to vtake a circuitous course throughthe working way orpassage 4.

At the lower lend of the air shaft 11 are two doors 5 4, 55. The door 54 is arranged in thepartition 10 and is normally closed to prevent the Ventilating current passing down the shaft 10 from passing into the shaft and the lnanway. The other door .is nor! mally open and 'allows vthe Ventilating current to pass intofthe working .wayor pas` sage 4.

The operation ofthe invention is as .follows: The two fans 9, 1`2 are constantly in motion impelling Ventilating v currents through the ,shafts 8, 1l and the two-sides of the mine. The current from the shaft S on one side of the mine-passes in the direction of the full line arrows shown in Figs. `1 and 2, first through'the overcast 53,then through all' of the working places inthe val-rious parts of the working' wayjorpassage 3,then through the cut-tlnjough`51 into the manway 27 then-back through the latter and through the overcast 52 and then out of the mine through the shaft 6. The Ventilating current upon the other side of 'the mine passes in the direction indicated by the full line arrows in Figs. l and 2,l first through the door 55, then through all of the working places in the various portions of -thev working way or passage 4 until it reaches the partition or detlcctor 49, which latter divides it intotwo portions, one of which continues inthe inner portion of the passage 4 and leaves the latter and enters the main hauling way l through 'the cut-through 50 and the other portion of which passes through the overcast 42 intothe manway 2and then out through the latterand the outlet shaft 6 as above cx- "plai`ned. The portion of the current'passing through the overcast 50 continues through the main hauling wayl' to the main or elcvator shaft 5 and escapes through the latter. In the event of explosion or fire in the mine the'fan 9 is reversed to exhaust the air from the shaft 8 and reverse the direction of the current of air through the adjacent side of the mine andthe door 54 is opened and the door 55 closed so that the current on the other side of the mine, which current is produced by the fan l2, will be reversed. These' reversed cul-rents are indicated by ther dotted line arrows in Fig. l.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the improved arrangement of parts insures an effective circulation of freslrair through all of the working parts of the mine and that the circulation will be strong enough tocarry out all of the poisonous gases, coal dust and the like so that the danger of 'explosion and fire will be reduced to a minimum and the miners and employees of the mine will be suppliedwith pure air. The provision of the safety manway permits of ready and safe accessto any part of the mine'both in times of disllO aster and when everything is in normal working condition. rlhe various doors provided in it permit miners in any portion of the mine to quickly enter it and escape when there is any danger; and by reason of its isolation from the other parts of the mine it will nett be affected by a. tire or explosion in any part oit either side of the mine and will consequently form a safe and direct outlet. Furthermore, it permits rescuing parties and hre fighting parties to enter the mine immediately after a lire or explosion, this being impossible in mines as operated at the present time. The provision of the main hauling way containing all vof the electrical conductors, steam pipes, ete., and the main tracks 'for the rapid transit motorcars, etfectively lessens the. danger of accidents which so frequently occur when miners must pass through passageways containing such conductors, pipes and cars. Since this hauling way is not used as an inlet and outlet passage way ttor the miners, the carsmay be run at high speed without danger and their movement in the passage way will not interfere with the etlective ventilation ot' the mine. this plan of working mines also permits the 4 pillars or partitions to be drawn without causing a crash or creep, and thereby pre, venting the waste of the coal forming such y pillars or partitions.

ln Fig. t3 ot' the drawings the invent-ion is shown embodied in a drift mine, that is, one which is horizontally disposed in the side of a hill. This mine has the main hauling way l, the manway 2n, and the auxiliary hauling ways and working passages 3, 4a. It is 'also similar in other respects to the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1 'with the following exceptions. The 'manway is straight and has an overcast 52, and at its inlet is a door 14, A reversible fan 3 is arranged at. he inht of the passage 14a, while an impelling tan 12a is arranged at the inlet of the passage 3. door 38a is provided beneath the overcast 52 for the passage extending under said overcast and atl'ording communication between thel passage 3 and .the main hauling way. Doors .343i and 55 are provided for the purpose of reversing the direction ot the air current produced by the fan 12. 42 and 47a represent overeasts similar to the overcasts 42 and 47 and -l-,9'represents a partition similar to the partition 49. The remaining portion ot this embodiment of the invention is similar to that of the one irst described.

ln Fig. 7 ot the drawings the inventionl is shown embodied in a slope mine, that is, one that is inclined downwardly from' the surtace. This mine is very similar to the one shownv in Fig. 1, but instead of having the vertical shafts at its mouth itihas downwardly inclined shafts. 5b denotes the main shaft containingl steps 5c and having an air soa/ieri shaft Sb upon one side. 1b denotes the main hauling Way,.2b the manway, and 3b and 4b the auxiliary hauling Ways land working passages. Gb represents the outlet for the manway containing the steps 13b and the air shaft 11. The construction of the other parts of this mine is similar to that of the corresponding parts of the mine shown in Fig.v 1, and its operation will be readily understood from. the .foregoing description.

While the preferred manner of practicing the invention has been `shown and described in detail, it will lie-understood I do not limit myselil to the precise construction, arrangement and combination of parts set forth, and that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details may be re- Asorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed i-s:

1. A mine having a main hauling Way, auxiliary hauling ways and working passages, a man .vay or safety passage substantially parallel and co-extensive in length with the main hauling Way, and means for creating a current of air through the auxiliary hauling 'ways and working passages, said current tinding its outlet through the manway and the main hauling way.

2.- A mine having a main hauling Way, auxiliar-v hauling ways and working passages, a-manway or safety passage substantially paralleLQjind co-,extensive in length with the main hauling Way, means for creating a current of air through the 'auxiliary hauling ways and working passages, said current tinding its outlet through the manway and the main hauling way, and means tor reversing the direction of such air current.

3. A minehaving a main hauling Way,

auxiliary hauling ways and Working pas` sages, .doors affording communication between the main hauling way and-certain of the auxiliary hauling ways and working passages, a manway or safety passage substantially parallel and co-extensive in length with the main hauling Way, doors atl'ording communication between 'the main hauling way and the manway, other doors aiording coimnunication between the manway and certain of the auxiliary hauling ways and working passages, means for creating air currents through the auxiliary hauling Ways and working passages, said currents finding their outlet through the manway and the main hauling way and means for reversing the direction of said air currents.

et. A mine having a main hauling Way, auxiliary hauling ways and working passages on each side of the mine, a manway or safety passage substantially parallel and c0- extensive in lengthwith the main hauling Way, normally closed doors aording communication between the manway, the main the last mentioned overcast, the auxiliary vhauling ways and working passages on each side of the mine at the inner end ot the latter being in open communication with the manwa'v and main hauling ay, and means for creating currents ot' air through the auxiliary hauling ways and working passages 0i each side ol the mine, said currents tinding their outlet through the niauway and the main hauling way.

5. niine having a niain hauling way, auxiliary hauling ways and working passages ou each side ot the mine, a luanway or safety passage substantially parallel and coextensive in length with the main hauling` way, normally cosed doors a'tlording communication between the man yay, the main hauling way and the auxiliary hauling ways and working passages, an overcast in the manway adjacent to the front of the mine and extending over the main hauling way,

-an over last adjacent to the inner end of the inine over the main hauling way and between the 'mam Yay and the` auxiliary hauling way and working passage on one side ot' the mine, a detleetor or partition adjacent to the last mentioned overcast, theauxiliary hauling ways and working passages on each side of the mine at the inner end of the latter being in open communication with the man- Yay yand main hauling way, irreversible fan for creating a current of air through the auxiliary hauling way and working passage on one side of the mine, a 'fan for creating a current of air through the auxiliary hauling way and working passage on the other side of the mine, doors for reversing the direction of the current of the last mentioned fan, and a door for closing the outlet. of the manwa-y.-

(5. A'mine having a inanway or safety passage co-extensive with the length of the mine, normally closed doors aliording oom.- iuunication between said manway and the various passages and working places of the mine. said manway being in open conununication with the hauling and working pas-y sagesat. the inner extremities ot the mine and means for creating a current ot air through the hauling and working passages, said current finding its outlet through said nianway. n

7.l A mine having a main hauling way, a inanway or safety passage substantially parallel and (fo-extensive in length with the main hauling way, normally closed doors atl'ording communication between the main hauling way and the lnanway, auxiliary hauling` ways and working passages, normally closed doors atlording eoimnunication between the main hauling way and the various parts of the auxiliary hauling' -ways and working passages, an overcast over the main hauling watY adjacent to its inner. end and a'ltording mnuuunication between the manway and said auxiliary hauling ways and working passages, a detlector or partition arranged adjacent to said overcast, said main hauling way and the auxiliary hauling ways and working jnissages being in open eonnnunieation with the inner end ot the uiine beyond said detleetor or` partition, means for creating an air current through the auxiliary hauling ways and working passages, said current linding. its outlet through the man way and the nniiirliaii'liiig way and means for reversing the direction of such eurri-mt'. In testimony whereof l hereunto affix my signature in the presenc'e ot two witnesses. MARTIN T. MeDONOUGH. Witnesses d. A. Gnnosannn, Jr., H. F. MCQUAY. 

